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For many gamers, Halo 3 is the reason they bought an Xbox 360. As the biggest title in the 360's arsenal, Halo 3 is undoubtedly the most hyped game in existence. Notice, however, that we didn't say over-hyped. We've put in some serious hours reviewing this game, and after several exhaustive playthroughs both solo and co-op as well as countless bloodthirsty multiplayer rounds, we can announce that Halo 3 is everything that it needed to be to fulfill our wildest gaming fantasies... and then Bungie showed us The Forge.

Love Letters to Cortana

First off, let us just say that we can't go into any details about the plotline of Halo 3's 11-18 hour (depending on your skill level) single-player campaign, and honestly we don't want to. After the somewhat disappointing cliffhanger delivered by Halo 2, we were concerned that developer Bungie wouldn't be able to wrap up the fragmented chronicles of Master Chief. So, while playing through Halo 3 for the first time on Heroic difficulty, we paid special attention to the story.

What we can tell you is that, as promised, the fight will be finished by the time the credits roll. However, the folks at Bungie are both clever and wily, and they kept us guessing and worrying right up until the very last burst of assault rifle fire. Not only are the tattered strands of Halo 2's loose ends tied up, but a whole host of shocking new events unfold... we just can't tell you what those events are.

Of course, longtime fans of the series will recognize all of their favorite Halo characters (well, the characters that are still alive, anyway), but an expansive knowledge of the Halo universe isn't necessary to enjoy Halo 3. This is due to the overwhelming quality of the performances of the voice actors, the script writers and the digital artists that have crafted Halo 3's engaging tale into a futuristic epic. Granted, at least a cursory knowledge of who the Master Chief is (he's the green guy with the gold visor) will prove rewarding because Halo 3's sweeping plot draws from the entire Halo universe, bringing everything back around full circle.

What was funny to us was that the staggering quality of Halo 3 is apparent in nearly every single aspect of the game, regardless how trivial. The magnificent voiceovers featured in the cut-scenes (Ron Perlman does a great job) spill over into the gameplay in the form of an all-pervasive combat chatter that will surprise you with how entertaining it is. By the time you're through with Halo 3, you'll have witnessed insane zealotry at its finest as well as the best Warthog driving level ever. It's those little touches that submerge you in the world and make Halo 3 less of a game that you play and more of an immersive thrill ride.